Tag Archives: CKUT

The International Radio Report’s 35th Anniversary!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Sheldon Harvey–creator, co-host and co-producer of the International Radio Report–who shares the following announcement:

Almost impossible for me to believe it, but Sunday’s upcoming edition of the International Radio Report on CKUT-FM in Montreal will be our 35th anniversary edition of the program. The first edition of the program aired on Thursday, November 19, 1987, our old time slot. That week in 1987 CKUT was also born, going on the air on 90.3 FM, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

International Radio Report is one of only a couple of programs to have been continually on the CKUT schedule since the beginning. Our hosts have changed from time to time over the years, as did our time slot, moving from Thursday afternoons at 2:30 PM Eastern to Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM Eastern.

I’d like to thank everyone who has been a part of the program over the 35 years; the various hosts, the numerous guests, and the support of CKUT for standing behind us and providing us with an outlet to bring our program to the listeners, not just here in Montreal but, literally, around the world.

And, to the listeners, a big thank you to everyone who tunes in, whether Sundays on the radio, through online streaming, downloading the program, or tuning in through our YouTube channel. We thank those who have taken the time to submit stories and material for the program. It’s a great help.

Whether you’ve been with us since the early days, or whether you’ve discovered us and come on-board recently, without an audience and your support, we wouldn’t be here. And a very special thanks to those of you who have supported our program and CKUT over the years through the annual CKUT Funding Drive. It costs money to run a radio station. It certainly doesn’t all happen for free! Our listeners have been most generous over the years, making our 30-minute program one of the most successful programs on CKUT at bringing in funds to support the cause.

So, we hope you will tune in, by whatever means you tune in, on Sunday, November 20th to help us celebrate as we mark our 35th anniversary of the International Radio Report on CKUT 90.3 FM in Montreal.

Sheldon Harvey
Creator, co-host and co-producer
International Radio Report

Click here to listen to CKUT live.

Spread the radio love

Special Notice and Update from the International Radio Report

Many thanks to Sheldon Harvey who writes with an update from the International Radio Report:

When we received notice that CKUT was closing the office and studio due to the COVID-19 crisis, we originally decided to go on hiatus. However, after discussing the situation, and the ability of CKUT to air pre-recorded programming during the shutdown, Gilles came up with a plan to test out a system for us to be able to pre-record a show. Gilles and I will be recording a new edition of the program using Skype between our two homes tomorrow afternoon. Gilles will be recording the Skype link-up, editing it and then forwarding the recording to CKUT. The plan will be to have it aired in its usual time slot, at 10:30 Eastern; 1430 UTC on Sunday morning. This will be a test. If all goes well, then we should be able to continue to provide a new program each week during the shutdown.

Please tune in on Sunday on CKUT 90.3 FM in Montreal, or online at www.ckut.ca

Sheldon Harvey.

Spread the radio love

International Radio Report is on hiatus

Many thanks to Sheldon Harvey with the International Radio Report who shares the following announcement:

Hi, all. We received the following notice from the management of CKUT-FM. As a result, International Radio Report is on hiatus, effective immediately. In the meantime, we encourage you to continue to post items of interest here [on our Facebook] group. We also encourage you to check in to the twice a week YouTube shows hosted by Gilles Letourneau on the OfficialSWLChannel on YouTube. You can also look for his Facebook group under the same name. Gilles has two live YouTube shows weekly; on Wednesdays at 8 pm Eastern; 0000 UTC-Thursdays) and on Fridays at 4 PM Eastern, 2000 UTC. We will be attempting to include some elements of the Int. Radio Report show into Gilles’ two weekly shows. Thank you for your understanding and your continued support of our radio program.

Sheldon Harvey

Important (and unprecedented) notice from CKUT-FM:

CKUT’s studios, music library, offices, and equipment will be closed/unavailable until further notice to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to our at-risk members. In the meantime, we will be operating remotely and will air a mix of original pre-recorded programming from our regular programmers, recent archives, and other relevant special programming.

The studios are locked and door codes are being changed. There is no possibility of hosting your show live at the CKUT studios. We will also be locking the office (all of the 2nd floor).

*Current CKUT Programmers*: please email your programming coordinator (Arts & Culture, News, or Music respectively) *ASAP* to confirm your plans for your show (at least 24 hours in advance beginning March 16th, 6 pm EST). If you would like to arrange for the broadcast of a pre-recorded program, please send your file to your programming coordinator 24 hours in advance. Please contact your coordinator if you have ideas for special programming and we’ll do our best to make it work.

Please note that our 2020 Funding Drive has been postponed until a later date.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is and will continue to be a reality that affects our loved ones and members of our communities, CKUT opposes the alarmist discourses that have been weaponized to justify racism, xenophobia, imperialism, increased state sanctions, and surveillance. We believe that this phenomenon highlights the pre-existing need – and now the undeniable urgency – for accessible and free health care, paid sick leave and a guaranteed minimum income, mutual aid, and strengthened community.

We hope to see you again soon. Please be safe!

Thanks for passing this along, Sheldon. We look forward to your return to the airwaves after the Covid-19 pandemic is history!

Spread the radio love

Listen to the 30th Anniversary of The International Radio Report–Sunday, November 12

5 Replies

(International Radio Report press release via Sheldon Harvey)

NOTICE: 30th Anniversary edition of The International Radio Report on CKUT-FM 90.3 MHz in Montreal

Sunday, November 19, 2017 from 10:30 am to 11:30 AM Eastern (1530 to 1630 UTC)
The International Radio Report, is a radio program conceived by Sheldon Harvey and submitted to CKUT’s first station manager Ms. Susan Elrington as a proposal in the fall of 1987. CKUT obtained its FM broadcasting license in 1987 and began broadcasting regular programming, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in November 1987.

The program proposal was approved and the International Radio Report, a weekly 30-minute program about the medium of radio, first aired on Thursday afternoons from 2:30 to 3 PM, beginning in mid-November 1987 when CKUT first went on the air. The program eventually moved to Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:00 AM. It has aired every week for the past 30 years on CKUT.

The program, originally hosted and produced by Sheldon Harvey and William Westenhaver, initially dealt exclusively with the world of international radio broadcasting, or shortwave radio, featuring information on radio broadcasts from around the world that could be listened to on shortwave radio. Over the years the scope of the program evolved and expanded to also include information and developments in local and national radio broadcasting, campus/community radio, pirate and clandestine radio and, eventually, Internet and digital radio. The program also covers developments in radio equipment, radio technology, and more.

Throughout its 30 years on the air, the program has had a few other hosts and producers. Sheldon Harvey and William Westenhaver took a break for several years, but the program continued with hosts Janice Laws and Steve Karlock. Eventually Steve left and Sheldon returned to co-host with Janice. Then Janice left and was replaced by David Asselin. Today the show continues with co-hosts Sheldon Harvey and David Asselin.

Over the years numerous guests have appeared on the program, including personalities from local and international radio stations, members of various shortwave and amateur radio clubs and organizations, representatives of Industry Canada and the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and other radio related organizations.

The program has developed a dedicated local audience, as well as many listeners from around the world tuning in via CKUT’s webpage live-stream. There is also a very active Facebook group with over 365 members from around the world.

The International Radio Report will be celebrating its 30th anniversary broadcast on Sunday, November 19th with a special one-hour edition of the program from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Sheldon and David will have an array of special in-studio guests, plus some samplings of past historic broadcasts, including a clip from the very first edition in November 1987. We will also pay tribute to past hosts and guests and have a round-table discussion on the evolution of radio over the last 30 years and what the future holds for the medium.

We invite you to tune in to this special 1-hour edition of the International Radio Report, live from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, on Sunday, November 19, 2017 on CKUT-FM 90.3 in Montreal and online, live-streaming, on www.ckut.ca. The broadcast will then be available on the CKUT archives.